Page 33 of Shattering Dawn
“What circumstances give you that right? Let’s be honest. The only reason you took my case is because your uncle is responsible for that stupid list and you want to know who is doing what with it. Fine. That’s a perfectly reasonable motive and your goals align with mine, at least for the moment, because I want answers, too. We are working together because we need each other for the time being but that doesn’t give you a right to ask personal questions.”
“Correction. I took your case because of you, not the list.”
“Hah.”
“Okay, maybe the list was a factor, but it wasn’t the only factor. Let’s get something to eat. Also, I need a drink.”
He tightened his grip on his cane and started toward the glass doors. Behind him Amelia did not move. He stopped and turned around but this time he kept his mouth shut.
“If you must know, I’ve developed a phobia about night,” she said, not meeting his eyes. “That’s why I was seeing Dr. Pike.”
“The therapist who wanted you to book evening appointments? The guy who might be your stalker?”
“Yes.”
“That’s it? That’s why you were shivering back there in the parking lot?”
“You make it sound like it shouldn’t be a problem. Obviously you live a phobia-free life. How nice for you.”
“What, exactly, are you afraid of?”
She glared at him for a long time before she answered.
“I see things after dark,” she said, her voice low and tight. “Things I don’t want to see. It’s as if I’m catching glimpses of other peoples’ dreams and nightmares in their auras and energy prints. Sometimes I wonder—”
“If you’re going insane?” he asked.
“Well, yes.”
In the shadows her eyes glittered with unshed tears. Anger, he decided. Frustration. And fear. But the emotional storm was aimed inward. She was furious with herself. And she was scared.
He knew a lot about fear.
“Welcome to the dark zone,” he said. He took her arm. “Every talent has one. Let’s go get a drink and I will explain a few of the paranormal facts of life to you.”
Chapter Seventeen
“It’s all aboutcontrol,” Gideon said. “What was your core talent, the one you possessed before you were enhanced?”
“I was—Iam—a pretty good photographer,” Amelia said. “Not amazing, but pretty good. I’ve always been able to sense a vibe of energy around my subjects and shoot for it. Or not, depending on the vibe in question.”
“And now?”
She sighed. “Now, after dark, I don’t just pick up a vague feel for an individual’s energy field. Iseeit in living color. And I’m talking about colors that don’t have any names because they aren’t on the normal spectrum. Going outside at night or entering an unlit room is like walking into another dimension. A ghost world.”
She was beginning to relax, she realized, not just because of the wine but because she was starting to conclude she had hired the right private investigator after all. In the parking lot his aura and his prints had appeared reassuringly strong and stable.
She was also feeling quite pleased with herself. She had survivedthe harrowing journey across the parking lot without succumbing to an anxiety attack. She had to give Gideon credit for pushing her out of her comfort zone. The realization that she had not fallen apart when she was confronted with the murky fog of glowing energy prints on the pavement had boosted her self-confidence as nothing else had since the stupid phobia had taken root.
They were seated in a cozy booth that overlooked the illuminated swimming pool and the night-darkened golf course beyond. The restaurant decor was desert-style resort casual—lots of colorful tile work, dark wood, and ocher-colored walls. The menu was modern eclectic, leaning Mediterranean. The room was comfortably busy but not crowded and she was aware that, for the first time in days, she was hungry.
You ought to see me now, Dr. Pike, she thought.I’m out at night and acting normal.
“When did you first realize you had a core talent?” Gideon asked.
She nibbled on a chunk of herbed focaccia dipped in olive oil and sprinkled with coarse salt while she considered the question. “I’m not sure,” she said finally. “I didn’t think of it as a psychic ability. It was just something I gradually became aware of as I grew older. By the time I was in my late teens I was obsessed with old-school photography.”
“Right,” Gideon said, “you grew into your talent gradually as you grew into adulthood. Figuring out how to handle your ability was a process. There’s a learning curve.”